A lost flower
by veldraphone
Summary: Uriel, also called harry, is left with no choice but to enter the forbidden city when his mother takes ill and there's no money to care for her. He knew that the place was "A shameful place" as his mother called it, but never in a million years did he expect this. As he grows and matures, the rose colored glasses come off and he starts viewing the forbidden palace as it is, a cage.
1. Chapter 1

_Sweet is the memory of distant friends! Like the mellow rays of the sun, it falls tenderly,yet sadly,on the heart. -Washington Irving_

The main hall was full of children whether being girls,boys, or hermaphrodites. They were all considered children anyway. They were all from all over the world.

Some were from Africa, some Asia and some were even from Antarctica, which has gathered quite a bit of a population since the magic kingdoms were unified by the current emperors' great great grandparents. That is where our protagonist happens to be from. Uriel larkspur Evans was born on the year of the flake on the last day of the month of the cat on an extremely cold morning.

He was born to the very bright and beautiful Lily Elizabeth Evans. Unfortunately, his father, a rich noble, who was afraid of the consequences of sleeping with a commoner, left him and his mother on the fourth month of her pregnancy. So thenceforth, His mother had to take care of him all by herself. As he grew older, his mother discovered something strange about her son, his hips were curved. She didn't waste time going to the town doctor though had little money. As they discovered,he was a hermaphrodite.

Over the years,when he went to the Weasley family house and worked alongside his mother as they swept and vanished snow for hours and crystallized the snow flakes that overflowed the continent of Antarctica.

The Weasley patriarch, master Weasley, was very kind. He let Uriel stay in for little mistress Ginerva's lessons. Because Uriel's mama was a very resourceful lady, she was often needed in the main house to oversee household matters that Mistress Molly was too busy to deal with.

When the day for selections came, all of Antarctica was buzzing with chatter, some were happy and most were sad, but none rivaled the sobriety that hung over the small servant quarters that belonged to the mother and son duo. Two years ago when Hadrian turned five, Lily took ill. Her illness has not improved and it gets worse with the endless snow and cold wind that blows in each day with no mercy. The doctors said that she worked herself too hard. No amount of soup kept her warm and no concoction helped her recover. For two years, Uriel, who everybody but his mother called Harry, because he always wanted to protect his mother, took on her responsibilities.

He cooked along with the chief and the kitchen staff, vanished the snow, helped wipe and sanitize the manor, and also sat in for lessons of etiquette, dance, speech and singing. He didn't want to remember the fact that his mother might die one day without warning. He set a goal in his mind that he would make his mother proud by doing everything he could and do it excellently. And so he did. Until the selections came. His mother wanted him stay, and so did he. But both and mother knew that with the way things were going, their only chance of survival was the forbidden city. Lily didn't like that place. In fact, she detested the place. In her opinion, it was full of selfish people who has lived in fear and cruelty their whole lives that they didn't know how to live with a conscious.

As Lily looked at her sweet seven year old with sparkling emerald eyes that shined with quite grace and intelligence, she felt like this was a moment she should remember. She might never see him again after all. When he turns ten in just three years, he will be a maiden. Until then, he was going on a lonely journey to England.

The land which had the biggest city known to man. The forbidden city. A city that is said to be modeled after a previous city in china during the old ages. Just imagining the sorrow and betrayals her beloved son was going to go through in that treacherous place just brought up fresh tears to her tired eyes. Uriel looked at his dear mother and embraced her for the last time, for he could hear the chatter of the already gathered entourage going to the palace.

He kissed his mother four times. One on the forehead for good luck, one on her left eye for good fortune, one on the right eye for blessings, and on her cheek for her warmth. He bowed once to announce his intention to depart and curtsied by placing both his hands on his waist and perching his hips to the side with his legs out and his knees bended to show his filial piety. He caressed her hands and stroked her wet cheeks before showing his mother a watery smile before finding the courage to leave their quarters with his head held high, mouth quivering, and eyes steady. He closed his eyes momentarily when he heard a wretched sound come from behind him, knowing the sound were from his mother.

He hastened his pace less he turned back and run to her arms like he so wanted to do. He reached the main hall where the entire Weasley family,all nine of them were waiting for him with suspiciously wet eyes. Ginny wasn't even hiding her tears. He was the same age as him. But she wouldn't go to the palace until she was 17. He, being a tad shorter than her, stood on the tip of his toes and wiped her tears with his green sleeves and gave her a his quiet smile before bowing to her. Then, he rose and curtsied. He kissed molly twice, for though she was his mistress,well former mistress, she was still close enough to be considered a second mother.

He kissed Ginny once on the forehead because she was his peer but still still in a higher position than him. For the remaining boys and men, he hugged them because though they were his brothers in a way, they were men of maturing age, plus they were in a higher position than him. He looked at them one more time before he curtsied low and asked in a soft but desperate voice

"Master, I know this servant has been nothing but trouble for your family, however, may I ask you to please take cake of my ailing mother?"

"of course Hadrian, do not concern yourself too much over your mother's illness, she will be fine."

Uriel kept the curtsey until the Weasley patriarch said in a fond exasperated voice, "rise."

He bid his last goodbyes to Antarctica as he walked down the snow paved sidewalk near the white cherry blossoms. He shivered and bowed for the last time to the Manor that has house his mother and him for seven years. The walk to the waiting center wasn't long, and he wished he could delay it as late as he possibly can. Alas, it would not be wise, for once the queue of sedans were gone, the ones that were not on it better be dieing or dieing already. The emperors did not like late or slow people,even children.

Speaking of sedans, there were a remarkable amount parked in the middle of the streets. It seems that the most parents opted to bring their children there themselves.

Hadrian forced himself to swallow the ugly feelings of jealousy that suddenly seized him. He shook his head and recited the quote his mother use to say about jealousy.

She said "O, beware, my lord, of jealousy; It is a green eyed monster, which doth mock the meat it feeds on."

he didn't know what it meant, but he was pretty sure that jealousy wasn't a feeling he wanted to feel very often.

Three palace ladies and two eunuchs were waiting impatiently fir the parents to release their children. Two guards were already checking the sedans for any loose links and the like. Finally, thirty minutes later, they finally were loaded into the sedans. There were three people in each sedan and four footmen were carrying them on their shoulders. One of them had a peculiar scar behind his ear, not quite horrid, but noticeable. Apart from that, he had a lovely face. Brown hair with strong cheek bones and golden eyes.

Uriel smiled shyly at him.

The footman smiled back briefly before he set his eyes back on the road to the "Forbidden city." The ride was bumpy and made Uriel feel like he wanted to vomit. He held it in though.

The other kids in sharing the sedan talked among themselves to relieve some of the anxiety that permeated the air. Not knowing what to say and when to say it, he just put his head against his corner of the moving sedan and tried to slow his breathing. He thought of his poor mother who will benefit from the money the palace will pay for his services.

He thought of the debt he owned the Weasley family in which he could and will repay over the years. With the thought of doing whatever is required cemented deep In his mind, he fell into an uneasy slumber full on white snow and crying lilies on a pond. He woke up to the sound of whimpers and he looked for the source . It didn't take long. The source was the girl sitting on his left. She was crying softly and rubbing at her eyes furiously when she saw him looking in her direction.

"Are you alright?"

Hadrian asked quietly as to not gain the attention of the sleeping girl on their right. The girl didn't reply verbally, but her whimpers became full blown sobs and she shook with sobs. In this situation, there was nothing he could do for her, so he just touched on of her balled fists and patted it twice before letting go and going back to his corner.

After an hour, the sedan grew quiet. When he turned to his left, the crying girl was soundly asleep. He sighed with a touch of envy. He wished he could cry as hard as she did, then go to sleep peacefully like nothing was wrong. With a hint of annoyance, he noticed that he was again feeling envious.

"Hmm, it seems ridding myself of this emotion is much easier said than done."

He opened his eyes wide in alarm when the sedan came to a halt and the footmen set it down gently. He shook the other occupants awake and looked straight ahead, waiting for someone to instruct them on what they were supposed to. He didn't have to wait long.

A minute or so later, a pretty lady with a silk Chinese robe embroidered with white doves with a leaf of some sort in it's mouth told them with a small closed smile to get out and join the other children outside. Harry hurried to comply. It turns out that 'outside'. Was the entrance of the forbidden city, also called "A shameful place" by his dear mother. The children outside were a little older than him and much taller than his measly 4'6in.

He pouted a little. It seems he's the smallest and shortest everywhere he went. One of the more braver children was wearing a cocky smile while making gestures with his hands about how he had brothers in the military and how likely he was going to be a "cool military dude with the uniform and all." a very admirable but difficult position to get.

The three palace ladies went about organizing everyone from the age of seven to eight, nine to twelve and finally thirteen to seventeen.

There were only two seven year old's, including Hadrian, six eight year old's, about nine nine yr old's, two ten yr old's four eleven yr old's,and three twelve yr old's. On the other side were the older kids. Four thirteen yr old's, four fourteen yr old's, three fifteen yr old's, five sixteen yr old's, and three seventeen yr old's.

The boys were separated from the girls and the eunuchs took them to another wing in the palace. As for the older girls and hermaphrodites from thirteen to seventeen, they were of marriageable ages and so would be going to the imperial hall of intelligence to be chosen as concubines or rejected and sent home.

The others would be grouped into large numbers and sent off to study as hard as they could to be future servants, palace lady, concubines, consorts, and perhaps even empresses. It just so happens that Uriel, was assigned to the dance department. He didn't mind, dance was one of his favorite things to do.

Now if only the other kids left him alone to do as he wished.

They were sent to a large spacious room that was warm but bare of any valuables. They set up their futons and were taught how to sleep in the palace. Apparently the palace had it's own twist on sleeping. Lady ar Shen, the beautiful lady from earlier, said that when sleeping, you sleep on your back and put your head in the middle of the rigid rectangular pillow on the north of the futons. You keep your hands together on your chest and lay as straight as you possibly can. The light from the candles were not to be lit unless you were writing something, the ink is rationed between about twelve people in the room. And most importantly, never steal. It didn't matter if you stole from your mistress, master or peers.

The next morning was very hectic.

People were waking up and expecting bacon and eggs and a kiss from mommy...needless to say, the reality check was cruel.

Unlike last night, Lady Shen didn't smile when she woke us up at five thirty in the morning. The complaints were louder than the yawns which slipped by once every few seconds. They were promptly instructed to sweep the grounds, wipe the veranda, dust the books and many other household chore that Uriel did on a day to day basis. After the cleaning, they were instructed on how to curtsy and to what degree depending on the person.

When everybody's knees were aching and their feet in even worse condition because of the heels they were forced to walk on, they commenced on to the basics of dance. There was a lot of complicated steps thrown in there, but Harry could swear the dance was the "lotus floating on water". He learned that dance when he was six. It was a hard dance that was no where near basics but if the ladies said it was, then it was.

The dance took Uriel a week to completely master and execute perfectly with no mistakes. The turns and twirls were the ones that gave him trouble in the beginning. No matter how flexible he was, the dance was a workout all on it's own. The teachers moved them through many dances over the course of a month and soon Uriel was breezing through dance. During the breaks, they were required to help with dish washing, embroiderer and other tasks which needed small hands at work.

No sooner than two months later did his first pay go to his mother. He wrote a short message for her to keep seeing the doctor and that she should not cry too much , he's doing fine. The teachers sometimes were puzzled by him. He didn't say much he didn't respond much unless give a direct order to. He talked to some of the other children, but almost all but three including him, were girls.

He was slowly but surely loosing his boyish features and instead growing into his feminine side. A year went by in which he was preoccupied by cleaning, dancing, cleaning, embroidering, sewing, washing, and many other activities. On the day he turned nine, he was assigned a mistress.

Lady Jasmine of the house of Lea. She was one of the new ladies of the court. She wasn't even a concubine yet, so people looked down at her and jeered at her when she walked by. On top of being low ranked, she also had a low self-esteem and brought herself down countless of times. Though the work load was less, it was still as demanding as his previous jobs of scrubbing and the like.

The day after new years, he saw something that broke the little innocence he had left.

His mistress, had mistakenly mocked consort Quinn, the new favorite of the Grand emperor. The consort had her caned until her blood was covering the white roses in the garden.

"Painting" she called it in her rich and confidant tone. "what a beautiful red the roses have become." she continued to mock Lady Jasmine who had trouble speaking,much less standing.

Uriel shook with horror. His green eyes were wide and his head was shaking from side to side as he was forced to watch his beautiful mistress flogged to death.

"Stop! Please stop!"he yelled in a desperate voice.

Consort Quinn tilted her pretty head adorned with beautiful ornaments to Hadrian's way and spoke in a soft dangerous voice

" You dare stop me?"

"Your servant wouldn't dare" Hadrian responded quickly with sweaty palms.

As if she was offering a better option, she asked again in a saccharine voice, "well, sweetie, would you rather take her place?"

Though Hadrian would had loved to say no, his mistress was almost on the verge of death. There was really no choice here. It was either choose the mistress and die, or save yourself and let the mistress die.

Hadrian raised his head slowly and said "Yes".

Of all the reactions he was expecting, he did not anticipate the soft genuine laughter that rang through the palace of great Honor.

His head, which he lowered as soon as he had answered, rose again and discreetly peeked at the consort as if she'd gone mad.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

A/N

Hello, i didn't get a chance to introduce myself on the first chapter. I'm sorry i didn't update earlier but My AP classes have been brutal. Anyways, I'm new in publishing and i don't have a beta, so please excuse my mistakes and plz review. it'll boost my self-esteem a ton. other than that, enjoy.

* * *

Consort Quinn had him caned thirty times in place of his mistress that afternoon. She was very thorough and had her servants hold him perpendicular to a bench and she personally whipped him till his teeth pierced the bottom half of his lips.

He didn't cry.

Although he was sore and bleeding, Uriel got up from the bench pensively and curtsied low to the consort and apologized for his lady's transgressions. After a small smirk that could almost pass for a smile graced the consort's lips, she left with her entourage with small flawless steps. When not even a hair of the consort could be seen, Hadrian immediately went to his lady's side. She was sweating and

had a fever, but she was relatively okay. He sent a junior servant to look for one of the royal physicians and proceeded to help his lady up. Together, they limped all the way to lady Jasmine's palace. On the way, the servants and fellow consorts and concubines jeered and snickered in their handkerchiefs openly and discreetly. Uriel didn't pay them any mind. His face was set in a polite, passive smile while his mistress was openly sniffling. When they reached the palace, the physician was there. He was a tall man with short black hair and a scar around his eye. He was dark skinned and had a thin face. He took Lady jasmine and laid her on the bed while he went through his bag to find the necessary ingredients. Despite his injuries, Uriel pitched in and helped the healer heal his mistress' wounds. After the healer dressed her wounds, he gave her a sleeping potion and she fell asleep instantly.

"Mason," he said,"My name is healer Micheal Mason."

Uriel looked at the healer and curtsied. "This servant's name is Uriel, sir."

The healer nodded and gave Uriel four bottles of ointment and told him to use the red and yellow one when he is redressing his mistress' wounds, the green one when she's in pain, and the blue is for Uriel's own wounds. Uriel didn't ask him how he knew he was injured. He just nodded, curtsied one last time and and escorted the healer out of the palace.

The next couple of days were hectic. Hadrian woke up even earlier than he was used to. Since that beating his mistress and himself received, he had become quite the protector, albeit, a subtle one. He closed the palace gates himself, guarded lady Jasmine's door personally and he made sure that the food was prepared by him and the water was not poisoned. Lady Jasmine has been delirious for a whole month and Hadrian has been at her side, sponging her, feeding her, and dressing her wounds. They didn't go out and nobody came to their palace, not even the lady Jasmine's parents who were permitted to visit her every two months. Uriel was tired, yet he kept going because he had a goal.

Whether or not his mistress was the Emperors' favorite or not, he would serve her because not only because she was the reason his mother's bills were being payed, but she gave him something to do. When lady Jasmine came to, her servant was pouring hot tea from the teapot into an intricate tea cup. As if sensing her, he gracefully turned towards her and blessed her with one of his rare soft smiles.

For the next five years, the two people in the palace of dwelling were busy with becoming inseparable. Lady jasmine learned the ways of a true lady and her servant learned to be even more calmer than he already was, if that was even possible. They didn't frequent the ceremonies and courtyards of the forbidden city often, if ever. Almost nobody even knew of the palace of dwelling because if was so isolated from the rest of the palaces, and it was the closest to the cold palace.

Uriel in this time frame has become a maiden and looked enchanting. His long,ebony hair is now to his knees and he wore it in two braids with small,green jades as it's only accessory. His pale skin contrasts his glowing emerald eyes and his long eyelashes frames them beautifully. He likes to wear the flowing lilac sarees that few servants wore and wears long silky sleeves that are attached to both of his middle fingers.

His lady has grown beautiful too. Her brown hair has grown to her waist and her caramel skin is flawless. She is a true beauty. Though she's a more headstrong than before, she's very determined never to repeat her mistake of speaking foolishly again. During the course of their self imposed isolation, they have grown very close and now they don't think of themselves as only a ticket to success. Uriel's mother has been getting better slowly, but surely, and this has taken one more worry from the child's shoulders. Lady Jasmine sometimes get visits from her mother and sister, however they don't stay for long. Two hours maximum.

Right this very moment, both mistress and servant are both embroidering in a room perfumed with lavender. They work swiftly with each individual stitch purposeful and meaningful. When their hands get tired, Uriel get them tea and they sip till their parched throats are cool and they're ready to work again. Sometimes, the lady would get frostbites from being so close to the cold palace, then Uriel would have to massage them with oil and sweet smelling lotions.

Because he was born and raised in the coldest place in the world, the cold didn't bother him much, and sometimes, his mistress teased him that he was half ice. Every time she said this, he would smile mysteriously because to some degree, he was. He was born in the year of flake. Though they were very fond of their solitary existence, the three emperors were throwing a celebratory party for consort Quinn because she was pregnant, with the third emperor's child. Even if they didn't want to, they had to go.

For the first time in half a decade, Uriel had to worry about what to wear and what to prepare for his lady. In the end, he decided to give his lady a midnight blue robe with jasmine flowers at the hem and miniature daisies embroidered all over it, she wore a white pair of heels and he put her hair up into a formal do that accented her beauty but didn't make her seem like she was trying too much.

As for Uriel, he decided on a very light green saree that looked white from afar with small lilies on his stash and hem of his robes. He left his hair as it is and replaced his lilac sleeves with ones that matched his saree. He wore no makeup unlike his lady, and though he looked plain next to her, he didn't mind. He wasn't going there to impress anybody, he was only a servant. He took hold of his lady's arm and escorted her with her arm in his palm. They took a sedan to the main banquet hall and then he continued to lead his lady to inside the hall. As soon as his lady was seated, he moved back two feet. If she needed anything, she would signal him, but for now, he needed to show that she was superior. It was law.

Finally, after half an hour of waiting, the Grand emperor, second emperor, and third emperor arrived with a smiling consort Quinn in tow. Everybody bowed or curtsied to them. The emperors told them to be at ease and the party commenced from there. Lady quin was seated near the second emperor and she was glowing. Before he could observe further, Uriel was called by one of the higher palace ladies. He went near his mistress and informed her of the summons and she permitted him to go.

He curtsied and followed the palace lady to the preparation room. As it turns out, they were short of one dancer. The leading female dancer was sick and could not attend, it was a last minute thing.

He looked at them silently for a minute and spoke with his soft voice, "I've not danced in a while."

that was a lie, he practiced everyday for at least two hours.

"Please, if we don't have a lead, the dance will be a disaster and we will all get punished."

if there was one thing he didn't like and tried to avoid, it was people who pleaded. He felt very uncomfortable with them, heck he didn't even like it when _he_ had to beg. He sighed and gave in.

they briefed him on the steps for a few moments before he figured out that the dance was one of his mother's favorites, _**"Birth of the moon."**_ the dance itself was a very challenging dance that contained a series of spins and whirls that left the average person dizzy and sometimes even sick. He would know, he had never thrown up so much before in his life, until he decided to practice this dance once when he was between the ages of eight and nine.

He was shorter than all the dancers and slimmer than most, so he was much fitted to be the lead, however, he was not anticipating the thirty minutes workout filled with jumps, whirls, spins, and countless other dance steps. Seeing as they didn't really have that much time, he got into a white ghagra choli and put on all the accessories needed .He finally put on the little clinking bells attached to the anklets.

They undid his braids and quickly straightened his hair. They collected the strands of the inky waterfall and clamped it with a silver band. He covered his hair as always,with a white headdress embroidered with golden little details. He walked barefoot into the middle of the group and gave a signal that he was ready. The banquet hall was silent as a dozen of dancers bunched together made their way swiftly to the center of the hall.

The musicians began playing a soft melodic tune that went in time with the sway of the dancers' hips. They moved their bodies back and forth as the musicians got louder with each second. On the second repeat of the tune, the music stopped. The only thing heard in the whole room were sweet sounding bells. It was soft and faint, almost lazy, then it gradually became louder.

The audience looked around for the source of the sound all around the room. when they were preoccupied, the small cluster of dancers started parting from each other slowing and gracefully, only to reveal a slender fae like creature in the center. He moved slowly and gracefully, as if asleep.

He bend his knees and covered his face with his white saree. The long gold ring in his rose connecting to his ear made a sound when he whipped his hair back and began dancing as if in a trance. The music picked back up to a frantic pace, yet the slender dancer in white did not falter, not even once. He went with the smooth flow and transitioned right back to the upbeat tune.

The audience were entranced. His hips were rolling and writhing with the beat and his hands coiled and stretched as he skillfully manipulated the bells and bangles he wore. After the last note left the flute, the writhing figure in the center bended his body,whipped his hair free from the saree,and curtsied. He took a minute to catch his breath, and then the applause started softly like a sprinkling rain, then turned into a thunderous roar that nearly rendered him deaf.

He submissively lowered his eyes when he made eye contact with the physician who once looked after him and his mistress, curtsied once more, and left the banquet hall with small graceful steps.

After he left, the hall remained silent, still in awe of the show they just witnessed. The emperors were looking at each other with significant looks, the consorts were trying to look natural, though they were clearly jealous of the attention the dancer had received from the emperors.

Outside of the hall where the dancers were undressing, a group of excited dancers gathered around a petite, slender body that was putting on his saree. As the headdress fell slowly on his head and covered much of his luscious ebony hair, Hadrian sighed contently. Without the headdress on his head, he felt exposed, naked. He took another breath and composed himself to face the crowd that surrounded him.

"Yes, ladies, do you need something?" he asked. They giggled. "My goodness, you were fantastic tonight!" one of them proclaimed. The majority of them nodded their heads frantically while trying to keep the giddiness from their body; it wasn't working.

Though very uncomfortable in this situation, he smiled softly at them and thanked them. Then, with a blush that could put a rose to shame, he mumbled compliments to them and scurried on out of the room. He didn't get far. As soon as he reached the lotus pond, he got ambushed by healer Mason. He immediately curtsied and said the customary greetings.

"Good afternoon royal healer Mason, what can this servant do for you?"

"I didn't know you danced like that, fair maiden", he complimented Hadrian straightforwardly.

Hadrian blushed.

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean my lord, I was not present at the banquet," he said softly while meekly averting his eyes.

The healer looked at him for a second before he chuckled deeply and brought Hadrian's face up using his thumb and forefinger.

"Don't be modest, I know someone when I see them, and I am positively sure that you were the dancer in the banquet earlier."

Hadrian opened his mouth to protest, but the healer silenced him,

" But I can keep it a secret if you'd like". Hadrian raised his head slowly and he nodded with a genuine smile on his lips.

" If I was the dancer, I'm sure I would had appreciated your secrecy, my lord." Hadrian answered, still not willing to admit defeat.

He left the pond before the healer could respond. As he gracefully glided down the road, he heard a roar of laughter behind him.

His lips twisted into an impish grin, before mellowing out to a bland smile.


End file.
